Eat and drink your way to be a stunning beauty on your D-Day

They say, ‘what you eat is what you become’! Including healthy and super foods in your diet can certainly change your whole outlook, and when a girl is getting married, this is all that she wants! Going on crash diets and quick weight loss solutions do seem attractive short-term solutions, but do they really work? The answer would be NO for sure!

We talked to some nutritionists and dieticians across India for useful food tips that can help you get that near-perfect skin and body before your wedding. Use these tips a month or two in advance and start preparing to be a glamorous and beautiful bride before you say ‘I Do’. We bet your groom-to-be will be smitten by you...

Lose those inches with healthy food habits Embark on a diet and exercise routine for that perfect bridal look in advance. Kanchan Rohra Bachwani, Dietician, Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach, Mumbai shares a tip that can come handy for you. Bachwani recommends, “Replace your regular tea/coffee with green tea that is rich in antioxidants, improves the skin and aids in fat loss. While you are on a shopping spree, keep some dry fruits, roasted jowar puffs, jowar flakes, and even diet khakras in your purse or car to avoid binging on junk food.”

B’coz detoxification is also important It is extremely important to detoxify the body, so that your immune system remains strong and the inevitable stress does not make you sick. Dr. R Kalpana, Senior Nutritionist & Consultant, HealthifyMe, Bengaluru comes to your rescue and says, “Consume a fibre-rich diet prior to the wedding to ensure you detoxify before your big day and feel energized throughout the ceremonies.” For boosting immunity, she recommends having plenty of soups, salads and citric juices (like amla and lemon), and berry smoothie with a dash of spinach.

Strengthening your fingernails and hair growth If your hair is rough and unmanageable, you should consume egg yolk daily. You may not like the yellow part, but it is extremely healthy and nutritious. The National Nutrition Team at Talwalkars shares that “the egg yolk is rich in vitamins that are essential for proper cell function, as well as contain the ‘beauty vitamin’ known as biotin. This B vitamin is more commonly known to help hair grow and strengthen fingernails.”

Stop your stomach from getting bloated The last thing you would want is to look bloated on your D-Day. To avoid this situation, you can make a simple concoction with these simple ingredients present in your kitchen and remove bloating. Nidhi Gandhi Verma, Nutritionist, Delhi shares, “Soak together ½ tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp carom seeds (ajwain), fenugreek (5 seeds) and 1-inch green capsicum in a glass of water overnight. Next morning, boil and reduce the quantity of water to half and drink it.”

Keep yourself hydrated to get that glowing skin The lack of sleep will make your skin look dull and less glowing, and we are sure that you don’t want to look like a sleeping beauty on the biggest day of your life! It is extremely important to ensure that there is sufficient intake of water in your body so that your skin glows. Pavithra N Raj, Dietician Executive, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore shares that to maintain the glow, “Keep yourself hydrated with regular intake of tender coconut water, lemon juice and milk shakes regularly.”

Boost your energy and be a new you While your wedding date is approaching soon, you tend to feel lethargic and less energetic due to pre-wedding jitters. This tip will surely give you that extra energy and the nutrients that you need daily. Luke Coutinho, Holistic Nutritionist and Founder at PureNutrition.me suggests, making a fruit salad of watermelon, pomegranate seeds sprinkled with cardamom powder, will provide you a great boost of energy, vitamins, minerals, fibre along with the anti-oxidants needed by a bride to keep her systems at their functional best.

Beat that stress before you say ‘I Do’ With the current lifestyle, one thing that is unavoidable is, high levels of stress! But dear bride-to-be, here is a food tip that you can use to keep the stress at bay. “Rich in anti-oxidant named ECGC that is known for its ability to lower the acne-producing hormone di-hydro-testosterone (DHT), green tea helps you fight fatigue and stress apart from making you look younger and healthier,” shares Jayavani, Chief Nutritionist and HOD-Dietetics, Lifeline Rigid Hospital, Chennai. Jayavani also says that depending on your weight, you can consume up to 6 cups of green tea.

Relax your body, enjoy a peaceful sleep In case you are struggling with your sleeping pattern and not getting a peaceful sleep, try this perfect recipe to get a sound sleep and start your day afresh. “Dip a tea bag of chamomile tea with 1 tsp basil seeds (sabja seeds) in 1 litre water and keep sipping the water post 3 pm till the night. You can continuously keep adding water to the same bottle. In case you are feeling over sleepy after this, reduce the proportion of the tea and sabja seeds,” advises the Lead Clinical Nutritionist at DrLive.in, Atraeyee Niharchandra.